


All About Timing

by gray_autumn_sky



Series: Set in Storybrooke, Canon Divergent [11]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-21
Updated: 2018-07-21
Packaged: 2019-06-13 18:52:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15371076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gray_autumn_sky/pseuds/gray_autumn_sky
Summary: Robin and Regina's 5th anniversary.Part 1 of 2.





	1. Chapter 1

For weeks, Robin has been alluding to her anniversary gift—dropping vague mentions and teasing with subtle clues. Over the years, he’s proven to be a thoughtful gift-giver—always choosing something with just the right amount of sentiment always choosing something just a bit off beat that no one else would have considered, and always unintentionally making her second guess her own gifts.

She knows that it’s just his nature, one of those things that he’s just better at than she is—though he denies that entirely—but it sparks a competitive streak within her. For four anniversaries, he’s bested her. Early in their first year of marriage, he found a list of traditional themes for anniversary gifts and he’s chosen accordingly. On the first anniversary—paper—he’d written her a letter on parchment that was beautiful and heartfelt, and something she could draw strength from when she felt the darkness seeping in. On their second anniversary—cotton—he’d taken her breath away with a canvas print of the storybook page that featured their wedding, capturing their happy smiles and teary eyes, as they leaned in to kiss—an image that mirrored their almost-kiss from the infamous Page Twenty-three. For the third anniversary—leather—she thought she stood a chance, and then with sparkling blue eyes, he’d handed her a small box. She’d unwrapped it slowly and her breath caught at the back of her throat when she found a thin braded leather bracelet with a gold charm—an apple with an arrow shot through it— dangling from the clasp. Quietly, he’d revealed that the gold charm was made from the same gold-tipped arrow as their rings. The fourth anniversary—flowers—had baffled her, but Robin had sent her flowers throughout the day. He sent long-stemmed roses and apple blossoms, tulips and orchids and, each coming with a small note attached to explain the choice. When she returned home at the end of the day, a trail of petals led into the backyard where she found him standing with a potted iris—a symbol of hope. Now, with their fifth anniversary on the horizon, she was determined to try once again to best him—because that’s just  _her_  nature.

She lets out an exasperated sigh and shuts her laptop a little harder than necessary, earning a smirk from Henry as he leans against the counter.

“Still no ideas?”

“No,” she sighs. “This year I don’t even have  _bad_  ideas.”

Henry shakes his head, “And what’s the theme for this anniversary?”

“Something made of wood.” She rolls her eyes. “And considering the gift is for  _Robin_ , this shouldn’t be  _this_  difficult.”

“Get him a tree—or a bunch of trees. He likes trees and trees  _are_  wood. It’s  _perfect_.” Regina blinks and crosses her arms as she sighs a bit too dramatically, earning a chuckle from her son. “You might as well. You’re not going to beat him.”

“You know, don’t you,” she says, her eyes narrowing. “You know what he got me.”

“I plead the fifth,” Henry says, holding up his hands and feigning innocence as he continues to smirk. “But  _if_  I did know, I’d know that it’s good. You’ll like it…and you won’t beat it.”

Her brow furrows. “Don’t you have packing to do?”

“I have three days to do that.”

“Henry,” she begins as she slides off her stool. “You’re not going camping. You’re going to  _college_.”

“I know…”

“And tonight, you’re babysitting Roland and Esme.”

“I know that, too.” He grins. “You know, you could just…flick your wrist and my packing would be done.”

She nods. “And you could just tell me what Robin got me for our anniversary so I know what I’m up against.”

“Not going to happen. I hate ruining surprises.”

Again, she rolls her eyes and circles around the counter, dropping a quick kiss on Henry’s cheek. “Remember, you’re taking them bowling at six. Try to get some packing done before then, okay?”

“Considering it’s not even eight in the morning, I think I can manage that,” Henry replies gingerly as she reaches past him for her coffee. “You know he’s going to love whatever you give him. It really doesn’t matter what the gift is…you know that, right?” He turns and looks back over his shoulder at her, offering her a soft smile. “Don’t stress too much about it.”

Leaning back in, she kisses Henry’s cheek again. “Don’t let them get  _too_ sugared up tonight—or, at least order a salad with the pizza, okay?”

Henry rolls his eyes but nods, and then she’s on her way.

She opts to walk instead of drive to City Hall—she knows that it’s really not about getting a  _better_  gift, but the feeling of giving him something that she knows will mean something—about making him feel the way he makes her feel, about knowing that someone knows you  _that_  well.

They’ve been married for five years and together for seven, and there are still times when their relationship feels so one sided to her—him constantly giving and on occasion, giving up. The spark is still there and she no longer fears that  it’ll fade; through the years, their lives have changed so much—from that missing year of stolen glances and swapping quips, to the battles against larger than life villains, to parenthood, and always the spark has remained. There is a comfort and ease between them and on most days, she realizes the great achievement that lies within that—yet, there are other days when she still wants to catch him off guard and take his breath away.

She finds herself standing in front of the pawn shop, and suddenly, she realizes that she’s missed the turn toward City Hall. Looking back, she considers simply turning around, but finds herself staring into the window instead. There’s a new display in the window—various trinkets arranged on old-world style table—and wonders if perhaps browsing around the shop wouldn’t be worthwhile—it’s not like she’s come up with any other ideas.

Typically, the pawn shop is not an establishment she frequents. In most instances, she prefers to buy new and whenever she’s in the shop, she can’t help but think that all of the items displayed are items that belong to someone else, relics from another lifetime—and from there her always mind wanders to things she would much rather forget. Nonetheless, she finds herself pushing open the door and Belle looks up from her book, her eyebrows arching in surprise.

“Regina, hi. Can I…help you?” She asks, closing the book and pushing it aside as she offers an awkward smile.

“No,” she replies too quickly. “I just…want to look around,” her eyes shifting away from Belle. She hears Belle murmur a reply, but her attention has already shifted as she moves through the cluttered shop. She looks at a shelf of books that sits beside a set of china plates that sits beside a leather satchel. She turns to a table, picking up a ‘Doctoberfest’ chalice and stifling the urge to roll her eyes as she returns it and approaches a glass case filled with a mix of real and costume jewelry, all of which she finds tacky. She releases an exasperated sigh, but continues browsing.

“Are you  _sure_  you don’t need some help?”

“Positive…” she lies.

“I assume you’re looking for an anniversary gift?” Belle inquires. And slowly, Regina looks up. “Fifth, right? That’s wood.” Regina watches as Belle’s eyes narrow in consideration as she mulls the shop’s inventory. Shifting impatiently, Regina turns toward the window display and as she does, something metallic catches her eye. She moves toward it curiously and inexplicably, her heart begins to beat a little faster.

A smile tugs at the corners of her mouth—a pocket watch, she realizes as gets closer. She picks it up and holds it in her palm, admiring the craftsmanship. The watch is an antique gold with a hand-carved wooden overlay baring a tree surrounded by woodland animals. She pops it open, smiling nostalgically at the wooden face and with golden accents. And she thinks of Robin.

“That’s…new. Or maybe I just found it the other day. I hadn’t seen it before.”

“It’s beautiful,” Regina muses, looking up from the watch. “What type of wood is this?”

“Oak,” Belle replies with an easy grin, “After I found it yesterday, I spent the rest of the day trying to find information on it.”

“Did you find anything?”

“I did—it’s likely from the Sherwood Forest.”

Regina’s eyes widen a little as she looks back at the watch, as her own smile forms. “That’s… _perfect_.”

____

She wraps the watch in a black box with a gold ribbon and inside she places a note that makes her smile and reminds her of the early days of their relationship, when he’d been so determined to fill her with hope for her future. She thinks of the first night they spent together and how his blue eyes had glimmered as he refused to let her doubt herself and the path she’d taken, and told her that perhaps it was all about timing.

On the walk home her memories continue to drift in and out—she remembers the way his arms felt around her when he hugged her in New York after weeks of separation and how she never wanted to let him go; she remembers the way his fingers laced through hers as they walked along the edge of the forest after returning to Storybrooke, and she remembers those cold nights in Camelot that they cuddled beneath down blankets. She remembers the way he threw himself in front of her after they’d returned from the Underworld, ready to sacrifice himself for her and she remembers the way he’d grabbed both sides of her face when he realized they’d both survived, how he’d kissed her fervently as he told her he loved her over and over again, before asking her to marry him. She remembers their wedding day and his perfect vows and how light her heart had felt the first time he’d called her his wife. She remembers all of their firsts from holidays to fights to family moments and each memory makes her smile.

When she steps into the house, she’s greeted by silence. There was once a time in her life when the silence would have bothered her; but today, it’s a welcomed surprise. She kicks off her shoes and takes off her blazer as she pads through the house onto the back patio where she finds Robin.

He’s placing a bottle of wine into a bucket of ice and he looks up at the sound of the French doors opening. He smiles at the sight of her and she finds herself smiling back as her heart flutter, still caught up in nostalgia, and feeling so grateful for the love he’s brought into her life.

“Happy anniversary, love,” he tells her, dropping a soft kiss on her cheek as he guides her onto the patio. “I missed you today.”

“Well,” she begins, grinning as she turns herself in front of him and links her arms around his neck. “Whose fault is that? You were already gone when I woke up.”

He nods and his arms settle on her hips. “There was something that I needed to take care of, and I think you’ll appreciate that I did.” Her eyebrows arch and she’s curious, but more than figuring out what he was up to well before sun up she’s interested in what he’s up to right now. They forwent reservations in exchange for a quiet evening at home—just the two of them—and something smells incredible.

“You know, I had plans for this morning.”

“Plans?” He repeats as slow grin pulls at the corner of his mouth, “Plans that could, perhaps, be revisited tonight?” She laughs, leaning up onto the tips of her toes to kiss him. She presses her lips to his, sucking gently at his bottom lip and tangling her fingers in his hair before her tongue slides against his. He kisses her back eagerly, pulling her closer as his hands begin to slide lower. But before it can go anywhere, he steps back, quickly pecking her lips one more time, and chuckles softly. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

She nods, “It’s a yes.”

“Dinner is almost ready.”

“I thought we were going to make dinner together,” she says, as he pulls out her chair.

Grinning, he reaches for the wine and twists in the corkscrew and shrugs his shoulders, “I had a…last minute idea…a burst of inspiration, if you will.” He pours two glasses of wine, taking a quick sip before turning his attention to the grill. She laughs softly as she he opens the top and she sees cedar plans inside of it— _wood_ -grilled salmon, she notices. “It seemed appropriate,” he tells her, catching her gaze.

“Very much so.”

“And you’re generally the one preparing dinner, so I thought it might be a nice change,” he says easily, turning back and joining her at the table. “It’ll be a little longer before its ready.”

“Well, in that case,” she begins, setting the small box on the table and sliding it toward him. “I have an idea of how we can pass some time.”

“Oh, your gift is upstairs, I…”

“That’s okay,” she cuts in, grinning nervously as she looks from the box to Robin. “I just…I’ve been thinking about giving this to you all day, and I don’t want to wait.” She shrugs. “I hope you’ll like it.”

“I am sure I will.”

“Well, gift-giving isn’t exactly…my forte.”

“I beg to differ,” he says easily, his face turning serious. “The last seven years you’ve given me have been an incredible gift—from that night in the forest when you gave me your heart to five years ago when you gave me your hand to all the moments we’ve had since.” She feels her cheeks flush and her heart flutter as he reaches for the box, lifting the top slowly. She holds her breath as he stares down at the pocket watch, and for a moment his face is expressionless. “Regina…” He breathes out her name and her own breath catches. “This is…I…I…don’t know what to say.” He looks up and his blue eyes are glistening and he very clearly overwhelmed

“I found it this morning at Gold’s. It…reminded me of you.” He smiles and nods, looking back down at the watch and slowly lifting it from the box. “Belle thinks the oak is from the Sherwood Forest…”

“It is,” he says, running his index finger over the engraved tree on the front. “And the tree on it is the Major Oak.” He pops the watch face open and a smile forms over his lips—and for a moment, he’s a lifetime away. She holds her breath and waits for him to look back at her and rejoin her in the present. “I…don’t know how you always manage to do this,” he tells her, his voice once more catching at the back of his throat.

She blinks, “I don’t…”

“Somehow, you always find a way to make me feel so at home in this world.” He looks up at her and she grins, thinking of all the times they’ve joke about how out of place he is in this world, how there is a daily fight between him and modernity, how you can take a man out of the forest but can never take the forest out of the man. “Regina, this pocket watch…it…belonged to my grandfather.” He looks back, pressing the faced closed and taking a long breath. “When I was a boy, I always used to try to steal it from his pocket so that I could play with it.” He grins up at her, “I liked the little creatures carved into it and would make up stories about them.” She watches as his finger traces engraving and he chuckles softly. “It never worked. He told me if I ever wanted this watch, I’d have to be a better thief.”

“That’s sweet,” she murmurs, her own smile widening as her heart skips a beat.

“How did you know?”

“I didn’t,” she replies, “I just…saw it and thought of you.”

“Regina, this is…” His voice trails and again he’s at a loss for words—a feeling she knows well —so, she leans forward and drops a quick kiss on his cheek, whispering to him that she’s glad that she found it for him. She starts to stand, knowing that he’s caught up in the moment and the grilling salmon has been forgotten. But he takes hold of her wrist and pulls her down onto his lap. He reaches into the box and pulls out the note, smiling as he reads it. “It really has been about timing for us, hasn’t it?” he asks her, quoting the note as smiles form on their faces, undoubtedly both thinking about that first night they spent together in her vault. “It may have taken us a lifetime or two to find one another, but it was worth the wait. It’s been such a gift.” Reaching out, his fingers slip to the back of her neck, drawing her in and kissing her, letting his love and gratitude pour out. For a moment, she feels victorious, finally giving him that feeling she’d been striving for—and then, she finds herself wondering if, perhaps, it hasn’t always been so one-sided.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin and Regina's 5th wedding anniversary. 
> 
> Part 2 of 2... and this was one of my first attempts at writing smut.

They stumbled into the bedroom, laughing between kisses.

Over dinner, they’d finished the bottle of wine and then started on another. Regina had put on some soft music while Robin plated their food, and they spent the meal reminiscing—laughing over happy memories of their years together. When their food was done and their wine glasses emptied, Robin had stood up and asked her to dance. She’d laughed, but placed her hand in his and practically falling into his arms. He’d laughed too and he steadied her, teasing that she could always step on his feet and let him do all the work.

It always surprised people that she wasn’t much of a dancer. She understood why it came as a surprise having grown up in a royal family and then spent her early adult years as queen in Leopold’s court, but as a girl it never appealed to her nor was she very good at it—much to her mother’s chagrin. By the time she married it was too late to learn and too embarrassing to even ask—not that anyone seemed to notice or care. Robin had been her first dance partner—and since that warm evening in Camelot, he’s been her only dance partner, never caring that she could never quite follow his lead, always forgot the direction she was supposed to go in, and left his toes faintly bruised.

She rested her forehead against his as they swayed together. Her fingers threaded through his hair, pulling him closer as she leaned in and brushed her lips over his, and he’d smiled softly at the not-quite kiss.

His lips found her jaw and peppered soft, warm kisses to her neck where they settled. She’d offered a contented sigh and let her head fall back, her hands sliding down to his shoulders and feeling their way down to his chest. She was only barely aware that she was pushing her finger tips into his chest, slowly inching his shirt upward until Robin pulled away, arching his eyebrows as his eyes met hers.

She’d laughed and he’d smiled, and her fingers began to tease. His hands began to travel, down from the small of her back to her to the back of her thighs, then back up until they caught the zipper of her skirt. This time, it was Regina whose eyebrows arched, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

She caught his lip between her lips and once more, their eyes met. Slowly, she reached behind herself, taking his hands in hers as she suggested they go upstairs. Then, she’d given his hands a quick tug as she took a step backward, stumbling over her own feet. Robin caught her, his arms wrapping around her back and pulling her up against him—and when their eyes met, they both began to laugh until there were tears spilling down their cheeks. He’d leaned in, attempting to kiss her, but neither could stop laughing. Her head fell to his shoulder as his knees bent to lift her—murmuring something about not wanting her to risk the stairs.

He’d held the railing on the way up, his head dizzy from wine and laughter, as she warned him not to drop her. Finally safe at the top of the stairs, he set her down, and immediately, she’d turned in his arms, pushing up against the wall as she kissed him. Her hands moved quickly between them, this time reaching for his belt, loosening it before her hands slid beneath the hem of his shirt. He broke the kiss, panting for air and smiling mischievously as he stepped around her, pulling her toward their bedroom.

Once more, Regina stumbled, crashing into him and once more, they couldn’t contain their laughter.

In the bedroom, layers of clothes are quickly discarded, each item replaced by warm lips until only undergarments remain. His lips linger over her shoulder as he works at the clasp of her bra—and when he can’t quite work it open, she offers him an exasperated sigh, reaching behind herself and popping open the clasp. He grins in gratitude and returns his lips to her shoulder as he pulls the straps down her arms.

Robin’s lips trail wet kisses from her shoulder to her throat and up to her jaw. She lets out a muffled moan as her head falls back, giving him more access to her. She smiles as his lips catch her earlobe where he nibbles gently, and she laughs at the tickling sensation it causes. He grins against her skin as his lips drop to the other shoulder and his breath catches as her fingers dip into the elastic band of his boxers-briefs. Normally, she’d tease him—coming close to contact before pulling away, rubbing over the fabric until his breath grows ragged, but tonight they’re around his thighs after just one tug and a second later, they’re around his ankles. He takes a step backward, attempting to step out of them—and this time, it’s Robin who stumbles, falling back onto the chaise lounge and pulling Regina down with him.

They laugh until they’re near tears, and somehow they settle on their sides facing each other. It’s not long before they’re kissing again, Regina’s hand slipping down between them, her fingers wrapping around his cock, stroking his length. His heart begins to beat faster and he pulls back, a low groan escaping his lips as he does.

She smiles when his head dips forward, his tongue flicks back and forth over her nipple. They stay like that for awhile, pleasuring each other with deliberate strokes and kisses. He dips a finger into her, pushing it in and out lazily as he continues to suck her nipples and knead her breasts. Reaching between her legs, she rolls her clit between her fingers, murmuring his name as a second finger dips inside of her. It feels so good, but this isn’t how she wants it to end—she wants him inside of her and she wants it now.

In one fluid motion, she pushes him onto his back, breaking all contact. For a moment, he just blinks up at her in surprise. But then, a smile tugs across his lips as he watches his kneel above him, her knees at his sides, as she lowers herself down. He helps guide her hips, keeping her stable and lets out long, audible breath as he slips in to her.

“Oooh, you feel so good,” she murmurs, letting herself adjust to him.

His hand wanders up her stomach to her side, and she watches as his eyes trail admiringly over her body. “And you are so beautiful,” he manages to articulate.

Soon, she’s rocking her hips back and forth, her fingers pressing into his thighs, and two of his fingers are pressed against her clit, rubbing over it as she moves. She comes first—her body bucking against him as her head falls backward as a series of whimpers escape her lips. He holds her at the hip with one hand as his fingers press harder against her clit, rubbing in a circular motion as whimpers turn to screams.

Breathlessly, she falls against his chest and he kisses her forehead, letting her come down from her high before turning her onto her back. She catches her bottom lip between her teeth, smiling in a way that’s sweet yet coy as he thrusts into her. He goes slowly at first, picking up his pace when her knees come up and her legs wrap around the back of his thighs until he explodes inside of her.

They settle together facing each other once again, their legs tangled as their fingers still roam over the other’s body. They kiss lazily and for awhile, everything feels still—comfortable and still.

“I think my buzz has worn off,” Regina says finally, lifting her head from his shoulder and smiling.

His eyes widen a little, “Buzz? Well, that’s an understatement.”

“I beg to differ,” she muses, propping her head up in her hand. He laughs and shakes his head. “Are you saying I can’t hold my alcohol?”

“Not as well as you think, apparently,” he returns. “You were drunk.”

“I was not.”

“You could barely walk without stumbling.”

Her eyebrow arches, “Says the man who tripped over his own underwear.”

He chuckles and grimaces, “Okay—maybe we were both a little drunk.”

She considers for a moment before a playful grin tugs at the corner of her mouth. “Maybe.”

Shaking his head, he leans in and drops a light kiss on her lips. “Well, as long as we can agree.” He pulls back. “Oh…”

“Oh?”

“I never gave you your gift.”

“You mean it wasn’t the wood-grilled salmon?” She laughs when he rolls his eye at her, grabbing the knit blanket that lays over the back of the chaise lounge and wrapping it around his waist as he crosses the room. “Please don’t tell me you’re suddenly shy,” she teases.

“No,” he says, again rolling his eyes. “But I’d prefer not to have to explain to the kids why I’m walking around the house…well…naked.”

“They won’t be home for at least another hour,” Regina assures him, her voice momentarily serious. But then her grin her returns as he disappears into the hallway, “And I am sorry to say, that blanket’s not covering much.” She hears him laugh out as she gets up and goes over to the bed, tossing the throw pillows onto the floor. She grabs her robe and pulls it on, then sits down on the edge of the bed and waits.

She lays back against the pillows and swings the robe’s belt back and forth as she thinks to the expression on Robin’s face when he opened the pocket watch. She smiles, remembering the way his eyes had widened and his breath caught in his throat—and his smile had been so bright.

“Oh, so you get to be covered up?”

She looks over, chuckling softly at Robin, holding a red box in one hand and the knit blanket in the other. He laughs, too, and joins her on the bed, reaching for his own robe and pulling it on. He leans in and kisses her cheek as he knots the robe and hands her the box. “Happy anniversary, Regina,” he murmurs as his lips linger just above her skin.

She grins and pulls at the ribbon of the box and from the corner of her she can see him smiling—he looks nervous. She turns to face him as her fingers slip beneath the paper fold.

“I struggled with this one,” he admits. “The others were all easy, but this one…”

She grins and finishes unwrapping the box, “According to Henry its…” Her voice trails off as opens the box, revealing a small, quarter-sized wooden Tree of Life pendant on a gold chain. She lifts the chain from the box and lets the pendant dangle. “It’s…it’s beautiful.”

He nods, “I commissioned it from Marcus.” She touches her finger over the smooth, carved wood. “It didn’t occur to me until the other day when I was walking through the woods and passed your vault, and noticed the symbol at the top.” He pauses for a moment and she hears him take a breath, “It’s from your crest. I never realized that.”

“It is,” she says too quickly as she looks away from him.

“And then it occurred to me—the Regina Mills I know and love might not be a woodsy, rustic sort of woman, but the girl who rode horses and refused dancing lessons and planned to run away with the stable boy was—and perhaps so was the young queen who nearly changed my life by walking into my tavern one summer night.” Reaching out, he turns her chin toward him and waits until she looks up at him. “And then it occurred to me that that girl, that young queen is the woman I am so lucky to love.”

“That was…a lifetime ago.”

“Maybe,” he concedes, “But no matter how long ago it was, that girl is still there.” He rubs the back of his fingers against her jaw, smiling warmly. “I know you struggle with your past, Regina. I know how hard it is for you to remember who you were and what you became, and the battle to become who you are now is one you fight everyday…” He pauses and reaches out, lifting the pendant with his fingers. “I did a little research before deciding on this particular gift.”

“You did?”

He nods, “I spent all day at the library—I even used the internet.”

She laughs. “And what did you find?”

“Well, I learned that this symbol symbolizes a great many things,” he begins, his grin broadening when she laughs again at his tone. “It represents the series of events that brought us all into existence, it represents rebirth, the presences of good and evil,” gently, he strokes the back of her fingers over her cheek, “And it represents life and love. It represents survival.”

She nods, closing her eyes and nuzzles against his hand, remembering the gold pendant she’d worn before turning to the darkness, remembering why she chose it. “It represents the idea that anyone can start over,” she adds in a near whisper. “That life changes and it goes on.”

It’s been years since she wore the Tree of Life emblem, insignia she’d been quick to shed as she left the Evil Queen in her past—and it wasn’t until that moment, when he helped her to remember why she’d chosen it in the first place, that she wondered if it might not just be a symbol of her complicated past, but a symbol of her future.

“It really is gorgeous,” she tells him, again rubbing her fingers over the smooth wood, tracking the trunk, then the branches and then the leaves. “I…think you’ve outdone yourself.”

“I just wanted to give you something that…that helps you to remember that your past isn’t all bad and in every, and that every version of yourself that you created, you were worthy of love.”

“Even ask the Evil Queen?” She asks, meaning it to be rhetorical.

“Even when you were the Evil Queen,” he replies decidedly—typically, they refer to the Evil Queen as if separate. It creates distance and makes her reign easier to bear—and she looks away. “You had your faults, but you were ambitious and determined, an effective ruler and…reacting to a world that had turned its back on you.” He smiles gently when her eyes meet his. “Your past isn’t all bad, Regina, and I want you to know that I am so proud and so lucky to call you my wife.”

Reaching out, he tucks her hair behind her ear and a small smile forms on her lips. “I don’t know how you always manage to see the good in me…”

“Well, someone has to.” She rolls her eyes, but nonetheless grins. “And because…there’s a lot of good to see.”

Her cheeks flush a little and her eyes fall away from his, and she looks back at the necklace. “This really is beautiful,” she says, not meaning just the necklace—their whole evening has been. She takes a breath, looking back at him. “Will you put it on me?” He smiles and nods, as she turns her back to him, brushing her hair out of the way. Reaching around her he clasps the necklace, dropping a soft kiss on the nape of her neck. Turning back to him, she drops a light kiss over his lips. “Thank you—and—I love you.”

“I love you, too,” he murmurs, stroking his hand over the back of her head as her forehead comes to rest against his. “I discovered something else about the Tree of Life when I was researching.”

“Oh?”

“I realized that in all the images of the Tree of Life I found, it looked incredibly similar to the Major Oak.”

She pulls back and her lips part, as she tips her head, watching as he reaches to the foot of the bed where his pants landed when they were cast aside. From the pocket, he pulls the watch and hands it to her. She blinks at it rests in her palm and her breath catches—in her excitement over finding the perfect gift for him, she hadn’t noticed. “Robin, it’s…almost exact. It’s…”

“Yet another reminder that you and I were always meant to be.”


End file.
